0 «*- /-> _ ^ 8 -jtc-^--ott 1 ^ ^ 6~/g«£ nt";" _UM. ^E&QBGg, LIBRARY STAFF BULLETIN THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY STAFF ASSOCIATION VOL. 3**. So. 2 URBANA, ILLINOIS DECEMBER 1976 o sy^f YOHP' UNIVERSITY OF Prospects for Change in Bibliographic Control CHICAGO COHPERBNCE Some 150 interested participants from library and bibliographic communities came to the University of Chicago Library School's 38th annual conference on November 8 and 9 to review the current state of and future prospects for bibliographic control. Every­ one present seemed aware that the bibliographic apparatus as we know it today must be changed* The high cost of running library operations, the voluminous amount of information availabki, the many unresolved user needs, and increased specialisation demand significant changes. No bibliographic organization today can operate in isolation. Resource sharing is a must; interdependence will prevail. The national bibliographic service of the Library of Congess must continue, but it will not be sufficient. Other national and international organisations must also contribute. The entries contributed must be organized and coordinated and brought together into an integrated whole without useless duplication. But biblio­ graphic control must not be molded and defined by the limitations of machines. The catalog of the future will more than likely be an automated one, but that automated catalog must preserve the Panizzi panorama of the library collection and of the contextual relations of the works it holds. We must learn the capabilities of the computer and be unwilling to sacrifice our cataloging prin­ ciples to it8 apparent limitations. Why can the computer not provide us with more intensive subject control at less costt We must build on that which already exists and realize how urgent is the need for a national collaborative effort. Henrietta Avram in the closing speech summed up well the message of the conference, and this article aims to retell her conclusions. She discussed the evolution of the production, dissemination, and use of bibliographic data in terms of solving problems. She demon­ strated that certain problems of the past have been shifted from one scenario to another, and present technology will modify today's approaches to solutions. The Library of Congress early proved itself the major producer of bibliographic data, and as early as the late 1950fs it began offering current cataloging data in machine-readable form to other libraries. That was also the age of local autonomy; libraries received cataloging data but modified this information in order to fit theirfown records and cataloging practices. Rules were interpreted by an institution to build and maintain its own files as opposed to the uniformity required for the building of a national union catalog. COMARC and COMSER were born in the 60*s - attempts to build a data base for book records and serials in machine readable form. Bibliographic utilities aroae — organizations that have hardware, software, and a sizable data base of bibliographic records and offer computer based support for technical and public service to a number of libraries. The information systems of these utilities have different design criteria and specifications. They are service centers that represent a region of the country. pie precursor of national network of library information service is now beginning to emerge* This will probably be a distributed system with component parts linked by telecommunication. A national authority file, in some form, will have to be maintained. The sharing of bibliographic data and of the materials themselves will be a primary goal. Each library will be responsible for securing the information and the document needed by the user no matter where that material resides. And so each library must have access to the national data base of bibliographic and location in­ formation. Messages will be communicated by means of the various bibliographic utilities made possible through the use of standard communication protocol. The Library of Congress is making a study *o define its own role in a national network. It is surveying the plans of the various networks and systems and eomparing these plans with its own opera­ tional objects* National agencies are beginning to discuss the possibility of the exchange of MARC tapes with their respective countries. Greater standardisation will be required if complete programs written by national agencies are to be accepted by all other national agencies. The IFLA Committee on Cataloging and Mechanization has been working on an international MARC format, called UNIMARC. In May 1976 this group completed the international format for book materials which uses the ISBD as a base. This UNIMARC format is now being prepared for publication. The national agencies which are responsible for providing machine readable records of their current national interests and making these records available to national agencies of other countries will also act as a national center for receiving records in a UNIMARC format, translating them into their national formats, and distributing them to the library and information communities of their countries. Identification of a work will be assured |y the completely standard ISBD format. IFLA is now conducting an international MARC network study, analysing the bibliographic practices of the countries participating in the MARC network and the communication requirements of international exchange. The future holds forth many questions. What will be the config­ uration of the networks? Who will manage them? How will they be funded? A aational authority file is a certaintyf and there must be centers to build and maintain a consistent national biblio­ graphic data base. Each library will have to have access to the national data base of bibliographic and location information. Since most systems today have different query designs, different retrieval systems, and other complex variations, how Hill queries be transmitted from one utility to another? The catalog, as Henriette Avram sincerely believes, is still based on Cutter9s objectives. It must serve as a finding tool and as a gathering or grouping tool. The catalog exists to be used. It organises for use the materials that would not otherwise be acce­ ssible to the user. This organisation for use must provide: Who did it? What does it look like? What is it about? Where does it go? Just as each material piece is stored in a meaningful way with respect to all the other materials held, so each biblio­ graphic record must be so stored in relation to all other biblio- graphic records. The catalog is the instrument vhich displays the contents of a collection; its creation and maintenance is a very important part of bibliographic control. This is a period of great challengef an opportunity to build on the technical innovations of the past decade. The technol­ ogical possibilities crying to be unveiled make this an exciting period; the clouds of uncertainty and insecurity that veil our vision make it also a frightening era. SISTER MARIOS SCHRADER CATALOGIHG I STATEMENT OF THE UHIYERSITT OP FUWCTION ILLINOIS LIBRARY STAFF ASSOCIATIOH The function of the Exhibits Committee is t* supervise EXHIBITS COMMITTEE the planning and preparation of library displays that are sponsored by the University of Illinois Library Staff Association. The purpose of these exhibits is to repre­ sent the University of Illinois Library collection, to stimulate interest in the library1s holdings, to give publicity to university events, and to feature the graphic arts* GUIDELINES 1. Library personnel should be given priority over other groups in the University of Illinois for presenting exhibits in the Library. 2. A short written proposal for each exhibit should be sub­ mitted to the chairperson or vice-chairperson of the Exhibits Conmittee at least tvo months in advance of the proposed exhibit. This proposal vill be reviewed by the eomdttee who may request a personal interview for the purpose of clarifi­ cation* 3. Exhibits should not editorialize personal opinions9 view­ points* etc., but tkfey should inform and educate the public. They should also advertise resources available in the University of Illinois Library. For illustrative purposes, outside materials may be used in the display• Etaphasis should be on scholarship, education» and library materials, k. Proposals will be considered according to their contentt originalityy and appropriateness of subject matter. 5. If the above criteria are not met, the Exhibits Committee reserves the right to review the exhibit and to recommend the necessary changes. 1977 SCHEDULE OF EXHIBITS Jan. East Asian art - Ernst Wolff. Feb. Display celebrating Black History Week - Pola Patterson. March Illustrated books* 1880-1920 - Jean MacLaury. April Medical plants - Phyllis Self and Mitsuko Williams. May Eighteenth-century physiologists - Betty Davis. BOOK SALE Sometime during the spring semester the Library Staff Association will be holding another used book sale. Please start saving any books you may no longer need. If you are interested in helping, please contact the chairman, Jean MacLaury (3-3^1 )• Further information vill be given at a later date. NEW COOKBOOK PLASHED The Library Staff Association has received a good response to the questionnaire sent out earlier this month, and has decided to go ahead with plans for a completely nev cook­ book. Further details vill be appearing at a later date. BOB DELZELL NARRATES PROGRAM AT ILA CONFERENCE